general 1 of 2

adjective

ˈjen-rəl How to pronounce general (audio)
Definition of generalnext
1
as in overall
belonging or relating to the whole a general increase in postage rates there's been a general improvement in the economy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in broad
relating to the main elements and not to specific details gave the general impression of being kindhearted a general course of study in American history

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in prevailing
held by or applicable to a majority of the people it was the general opinion that the politician was a liar the general mood of the nation was one of hope and optimism

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in unlimited
not limited or specialized in application or purpose a new kitchen tool of general usefulness a general education

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

general

2 of 2

noun

as in executive

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of general
Adjective
Digital media veteran Adam Boorstin has joined Beast Industries‘ WatchTime Studios as general manager overseeing the production of original content in a range of genres for various platforms. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026 All the Presidents’ Wars is more a historical overview than an attempt to break new ground, but Bergen does make valuable contributions to the general understanding of key episodes in the war on terror. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on sale beginning Friday, August 21 at 10am local time. — Jem Aswad, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026 In the melee the Koh-i-Noor was smuggled to the Persian general Ahmad Khan Abdali by a devoted harem member. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for general
Recent Examples of Synonyms for general
  1. overall
  2. broad
  3. prevailing
  4. unlimited
  5. executive
  6. generic
  7. public
  8. unrestricted
Adjective
  • Critics of the strikes have questioned the overall legality as well as their effectiveness.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Sung Soo Han, the head of Pledis, known as the master professional, has led the group’s overall production for music, visual concepts and their performances.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of overall
Adjective
  • Netanyahu is not on record as making that remark, but the slogan reflects a broader narrative promoted by Iranian hardliners, portraying women who do not wear the hijab as, at the very least, disloyal to their country.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Gonzalez Rogers is overseeing the broader multidistrict litigation consolidating nearly 3,000 pending lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube over alleged harms to children and teens.
    — Jeffrey Kopp, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of broad
Adjective
  • The group noted the projection was revised upward from an earlier estimate owing to an additional year in the budget window and higher prevailing interest rates.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Likewise, prevailing concepts of Hamlet at the time cast the prince as a wan and melancholic, leading critics to bristle at Bernhardt’s energy.
    — Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
Definition of prevailing
Adjective
  • The account includes 16GB of NVMe SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026
  • But with no enforceable salary cap and unlimited player movement, every year can be wildly different.
    — Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of unlimited
Noun
  • But most industry executives believe the quickest route to launching eVTOL service is to upgrade today’s helicopter infrastructure with charging systems.
    — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 23 Aug. 2026
  • For executives, that fortress includes the systems surrounding their decisions and the biological capacity supporting them.
    — Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of executive
Adjective
  • Summary Leaders are increasingly sounding generic, often using similar buzzwords, a trend exacerbated by AI's ability to generate competent but unoriginal communication.
    — Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Classroom-style exchanges, with judges asking people to raise their hands in response to generic questions about their cases.
    — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of generic
Adjective
  • In April, L3Harris subsidiary Aerojet Rocketdyne made a deal for a $1 billion government investment into the missile-propulsion business L3Harris plans to take public.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Other factors, including enormous public debt piles, are also contributing to elevated yields.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of public
Adjective
  • Most people on electronic monitoring regardless of the charge are permitted periods of unrestricted movement during which their location is not actively monitored.
    — Eileen Burke, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Joining the Emerging Filmmaker Awards, which include Someone to Watch, Truer Than Fiction, and Producers Award, the winning digital creator will receive a $25,000 unrestricted grant.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of unrestricted

Phrases Containing general

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generable
general
general assemblies
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Cite this Entry

“General.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/general. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on general

Nglish: Translation of general for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about general

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